“I’ll Be Cheering for Cooper Kupp”: Puka Nacua Won’t Root for Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX

Puka Nacua has made it clear where his loyalty stands heading into Super Bowl LX. Despite the Seattle Seahawks representing the NFC on football’s biggest stage, the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver says he won’t be rooting for the division rival. Instead, his support belongs to one person.

“My loyalty lies with Coop,” Nacua said. “I’ll be cheering for Cooper Kupp. I will not be cheering for the Seahawks.”

That loyalty stems from his close relationship with former teammate Cooper Kupp, who signed with Seattle last offseason after spending eight years with the Rams. Although Kupp now wears Seahawks colors, his bond with Nacua remains strong, and that connection is shaping where Nacua’s support lies as Seattle prepares to face the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

Nacua’s comments come during what has been another bittersweet offseason for the rising star.

For the second time in three years, he narrowly missed out on a major NFL award. On Thursday night, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba edged out Nacua for the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year honor. Three years earlier, Nacua had finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, losing to Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Once again, Nacua found himself among the league’s elite without taking home the top prize.

Both Nacua and Smith-Njigba delivered dominant 2025 campaigns. Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, finishing just 78 yards ahead of Nacua. Meanwhile, Nacua topped the league with 129 receptions and averaged an NFL-best 107.2 yards per game. The two receivers were nearly identical in production, each catching 10 touchdown passes and finishing within three targets of one another.

According to Rob Maadi, Nacua finished third in the voting with 170 points and eight first-place votes. Christian McCaffrey placed second with 223 points and 12 first-place votes, while Smith-Njigba claimed the award.

Even without the hardware, Nacua’s season placed him in rare company. Including the playoffs, he became just the second player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a single season, joining Kupp in that exclusive group. Smith-Njigba could become the third player to reach the milestone with 35 yards in Super Bowl LX.

Throughout the year, Nacua and Smith-Njigba were widely viewed as the two best receivers in football. Both earned first-team All-Pro selections and Pro Bowl honors, solidifying their status among the league’s elite.

For Kupp, watching Nacua’s rise has been especially meaningful.

The veteran receiver spent two seasons alongside Nacua in Los Angeles and had a front-row seat to his development into one of the NFL’s most dangerous weapons. Even after leaving the Rams, Kupp continued to follow his former teammate’s progress closely.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Kupp spoke with the Deseret News about what stood out most about Nacua’s 2025 season.

“I don’t know what he’s doing with his gloves,” Kupp said. “He’s sticking the ball somehow, swiping down at the thing. I’m not sure what he’s been doing with all that. So he’s done some unbelievable things.”

Kupp pointed to Nacua’s physical style and toughness as defining traits, especially in traffic.

“Same Puka in terms of his physicality, his willingness across the middle and running after the catch,” he said. “He did a great job just making really tough catches this year.”

Those numbers backed up the praise. Nacua led the NFL with 27 contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus, the highest total recorded in the more than two decades the company has tracked data.

Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, finished the regular season with 1,793 yards, 119 receptions, and 10 touchdowns. His total ranked as the eighth-best single-season receiving mark in NFL history, while Nacua’s 1,715-yard campaign placed 14th all-time.

Kupp understands elite production better than most. In 2021, he captured the receiving triple crown by leading the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns. His 1,947 yards that season remain the second-highest total in NFL history.

Now 32, Kupp sees both young stars as worthy of recognition.

“I’ve got close to both of them just as a friend and a teammate,” Kupp said. “They were great players before I had ever met them. They were great in their own right. It’s great to see those guys get recognized for putting together seasons that are very special.”

For Nacua, the respect from his former mentor matters more than trophies. While he may have come up short in award voting once again, his place among the league’s best is no longer in question.